"Geez, the most state-of-the-art piece of shit out in space and the damned AC is busted. Typical." Duo turned left and headed down another corridor. Trying to concentrate, he closed his eyes, slowing his walk. He stopped and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. Then that noise filled his ears again. What the hell was that anyway? It didn't sound like your run-of-the-mill mechanical error. Duo opened his eyes and looked up. The noise was soft, but certainly loud enough to interrupt him every time he started thinking. It kept going up and down, loud and soft, but always gentle.

"Hey, Duo." The black-clad teen looked over to see Wu Fei. "Do you hear that music?"

Duo stopped thinking and listened. "Yeah, now that you mention it, it does sound a little like music."

"You only just now noticed?" Wu Fei scoffed and went down the hall. "I want to know where it's coming from. You coming?"

"Yeah. Hey, wait up!" Duo went off after the Chinese youth. Now that he did consider it, that was why the noise was bugging him so much. He didn't think there was any music at all on this ship. So where was this coming from? Did someone sneak a CD player on board?

As the two got closer to the music, Duo started to make out definite parts of the sounds. He was never proficient in music, but he did like singing along with the choir way back when. There were two instruments. And they were playing with each other.

"Who brought the violin and the flute on board?" That was Noin.

"We're trying to find out," explained Duo. He looked to her and found her wearing what looked like Zech's red uniform from OZ. He knew enough not to ask questions, and Noin certainly wasn't subtle when it came to a certain platinum blond soldier. She joined Duo and We Fei in walking down the corridors, trying to follow that music.

The more Duo listened to it, the more the youth liked it. There was a subtlety and deepness to the sound. As it got louder it reverberated off the cold metal walls, things slowly seemed a lot warmer. Duo found himself continually feeling a warm breeze, even though there was none.

"It's so beautiful," said Sally, who had recently joined the trio. "It reminds me of a place. It's just at the edge of my vision."

"I know what you mean," added Noin. "I can almost see it. Isn't it strange that one can see music rather than hear it?"

"I guess that it says something about the two who are playing. They must be either really talented, or really into the music."

"My bet would be on the latter."

"Would you women stop chattering?" Wu Fei demanded. "I want to listen, and I can't hear it with you two gossiping." Duo restrained a wince as the pair stared at the Shen Long pilot.

As they continued through the corridors, the music became louder and more solid. Duo was now able to pick up distinct notes and bars of music. He was able to notice that it wasn't the actual song that moved him. The American was able to pick up at least three different recognizable tunes. It wasn't the song. It was the music itself. It stirred up feelings that Duo had long repressed; or suppressed. The braided pilot found that he felt a sense of belonging. Of love in its purest form. He hadn't let himself feel this since Father Maxwell. The memory swelled the long silent sadness in Duo, and he found his eyes watering. He quickly rubbed his eyes and instead looked around. Sally was in a similar situation. Noin was actually crying. Even Wu Fei, ever guarded, was blinking several times. They were remembering, just as Duo was. The youth suddenly realized that he wasn't so alone. Everyone here walking with him had some kind of past, some kind of regret, some kind of sadness. Somehow, that made him feel better. He suddenly wished he could talk with Heero. He had wanted to tell the stoic pilot some things, but always chickened out when he saw those icy eyes.

They finally found the source of that moving sound. It was Conference Room 6a. The door was closed, but the music could clearly be heard coming from it. Duo raced up and looked through the window, wondering who was playing the cd.

What he saw was quite different from what he'd expected.

"I was wondering why they didn't join us," he muttered.

"Who?" Noin and Sally and Wu Fei crowded around the black-clad youth to look through the window. Inside the conference room was Trowa and Quatre. And they were the ones playing that gorgeous music. The Arabian was skillfully manipulating a violin. The sound was vibrant, and Duo thought very hopeful. It hardly sounded like the violins in the choir. It was steady, solid, and free of sadness. The Heavyarms pilot had the flute, it's silvery sound rising and falling with professional quality.

Duo found himself thinking about Quatre's reaction when he'd told him about finding Trowa. The poor guy'd looked as if he would cry. And Trowa had been acting weird since he got his memory back. Like he finally found where he belonged. The American was suddenly very aware of how the music expressed those two. He found that he was beginning to understand the relationship between the pair. When he was camped out with Quatre while Heero was missing, Quatre had given a brief account of when he and Trowa had first met. Duo had gotten the feeling there was more to it than the blond was letting on, but he knew enough not to press. Besides, whenever the subject was brought up, that Rashid guy got real antsy. Now he was beginning to understand those two. He couldn't help but smile. He wondered if the pair knew what they had something special. It was something he had wanted all his life. The braided youth was very glad that he could listen to this music. He wanted to hear more.

"So this is where that noise is coming from." Everybody turned to see Heero, leaned against the wall with his arms folded in front of him, staring at them with a look of utter annoyance. "I've been wandering half the ship looking for the source."

"It's Quatre and Trowa," Duo answered quietly, unable to bring himself to talk over the music. "Those two are really good. That music is so moving and beautiful. Have you ever heard anything like it Heero?"

The youth said nothing and instead pushed his way through the small crowd and opened the door. The "fffssshhh" noise sounded like a thunderstrike, and the music suddenly died at the interruption.

"So it was you two," Heero said coldly. "I could hear that noise of yours all the way in the docking bay."

"But-" said Quatre.

"It's distracting me," Heero replied coldly. "And I want it to stop. The last thing I need right now is someone or ones screwing up my concentrations while I'm working on Wing Zero. Put your toys away or I'll take them away."

Trowa remained silent. His face was expressionless, as always. Quatre looked on the other hand like a some sacred right had just been casually trampled. Duo felt a pang of sympathy towards the pair and a surge of anger at Heero's insensitivity.

So of course he acted on the latter.

"Heero, have you lost it or something?" he demanded angrily. Sensing the fireworks, Wu Fei, Noin, and Sally discretely left. Trowa went over to Quatre to console him quietly. Duo felt he'd just been given free reign. "That music is rare, man! You don't get stuff like that anymore! What d'you think you're doing just ordering them to stop like that? Why in the hell are you being such a jerk about this??" He had any number of more colorful things to call him, many of which he wanted to utilize, but Quatre's presence made him be civil. "What right do you have to tell them what to do?"

"I'm not ordering them. If the want to keep making that noise they can. Just not while I can hear it." Duo was ready to hit the youth when Heero turned and promptly left, leaving the American sputtering and red faced.

It took Duo a full minute before any decent swear words started coming out of his mouth. Completely forgetting that Quatre was in the room, the American used Heero's name in all sorts of colorful phrases, many of which spanned different eras and even a few languages. Duo ended his little speech by kicking the door that Heero had exited. He took a deep breath before turning to the musical pair. His composure regained, he simply said, "I'm sorry about Heero. I stand by my original assessment of him. He's antisocial, thinks he's Evil Coneval, hardly speaks, and ain't even human."

"It's okay, I guess," said Quatre. "We've all been under a lot of stress lately. I suppose it's only natural for him to react that way." He put his violin back in its case, his eyes sad. "At least we had a little while, eh, Trowa?"

But the green-eyed pilot was not listening. He was instead looking around the room, his eyes scanning the ceiling.

"What're you doing?" asked Duo.

"Heero said he was with the Gundams right?"

Duo tried to remember what the pilot had said. "Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"That's literally at the other end of the ship."

"Uh-huh. And?"

Trowa stopped his assessment of the room. To Duo and Quatre's surprise, a faint smile came to his lips.

"Stay here. I'll be right back." Trowa left the room and floated down the corridor.

"Do you know where he's going?" the American asked Quatre.

"Not at all. Do you?"

"Hell no. What's up with him anyway? He's been acting weird since he got his memory back."

Quatre smiled softly. "I think it's because he's got his memory back. Now he can look at his life with a clearer, more objective focus."

Duo choked. "Objective? That guy couldn't get more objective if he wanted to!"

Quatre laughed. "You're wrong, Duo. For the first time in his life, he can see himself clearly. And I'm glad that he can."

Duo shrugged. He knew when he was in over his head. "If you say so," he said off-handedly.

Trowa returned with, oddly enough, a blanket. Several of them in fact. Ignoring the two sets of confused eyes, the pilot floated up to the ceiling and removed a vent. He stuffed the blankets thoroughly inside and placed the vent back. Then he took up his flute.

"Perhaps now Heero can concentrate," he said simply.

The realization hit Duo and Quatre at the same time. Quatre dived for his violin as Duo promptly smacked Trowa on the back. "Way to go, my man! Very clever!" The quiet pilot looked at him strangely, then once again revealed that small smile. It wasn't much, but for a guy like Trowa, it spoke volumes.

"Hey, I don't suppose I could… you know…" Duo left it hanging. The pair looked at each other, both hesitant to allow the youth into such a private concert. "That's perfectly alright," Duo replied to the pause. "I understand completely." He turned happily and left the room. The black-clad boy went down the hall and turned the corner, then waited. After a few minutes, the music started again, much fainter than it had been before. Duo quietly crept back up to the door and sat beside it. Letting the music fill him.

Clear, perfect water. The kind that almost didn't exist anymore. Duo could almost see the music. The gentle flow of the current as it eased over the smooth pebbles of the stream. A brilliant canopy of trees overhead, bright green. Above it was the sun, shining through to the water. Brilliant white sparkles, reflecting and shining. A warm, gentle breeze. The canopy shuddered because of it, and the sparkles jump from place to place in the stream. Duo could see the perfect scene. It represented the perfect music. And standing by the stream stood two boys. One with soft, silky hair and eyes that were no longer sad. The other was a petit blond with large, laughter filled eyes who looked as if a dark stain on his soul had just been cleansed. It was not completely gone, but the dark spot was not quite as large.

"It's such beautiful harmony, Father Maxwell," Duo whispered. "It almost sparkles."

Duo Maxwell smiled at the silent reply.

The End

One last note, the last of the dark spot disappears when Quatre uses the Zero-system again.